Summary
On October 08, 2010, a Piper PA28 (N57302) was involved in an accident near Louisville, KY. The accident resulted in 4 minor injuries. The aircraft sustained substantial damage.
The National Transportation Safety Board determined the probable cause of this accident to be: The pilot's inadequate preflight fuel planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and loss of engine power.
According to the pilot, during his preflight planning, he estimated the fuel to be at 40 gallons by calculating fuel burn from two previous flights. The pilot departed for destination planning to land with 45 minutes of fuel reserve. The pilot stated that the airplane encountered winds stronger than forecast en-route and the airplane consumed more fuel than estimated. On descent for landing, the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power. The pilot attempted to glide to the runway; however, he decided to land on a freeway when "airspeed and maintenance on the glide slope slipped away." The airplane landed in the middle lanes of the freeway, skidded on the pavement and came to rest in a ditch resulting in substantial damage to the right wing and horizontal stabilizer.
This accident is documented in NTSB report ERA11CA013. AviatorDB cross-references NTSB investigation data with FAA registry records to provide comprehensive safety information for aircraft N57302.
Accident Details
Probable Cause and Findings
The pilot's inadequate preflight fuel planning, which resulted in fuel exhaustion and loss of engine power.
Aircraft Information
Registered Owner (Historical)
Analysis
According to the pilot, during his preflight planning, he estimated the fuel to be at 40 gallons by calculating fuel burn from two previous flights. The pilot departed for destination planning to land with 45 minutes of fuel reserve. The pilot stated that the airplane encountered winds stronger than forecast en-route and the airplane consumed more fuel than estimated. On descent for landing, the airplane experienced a total loss of engine power. The pilot attempted to glide to the runway; however, he decided to land on a freeway when "airspeed and maintenance on the glide slope slipped away." The airplane landed in the middle lanes of the freeway, skidded on the pavement and came to rest in a ditch resulting in substantial damage to the right wing and horizontal stabilizer. Post-accident examination of the airplane by a Federal Aviation Administration Inspector revealed that both tanks were absent of fuel and that no pre-impact mechanical anomalies existed.
Data Source
Data provided by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). For more information on this event, visit the NTSB Records Search website. NTSB# ERA11CA013